We received complimentary admission to facilitate this review of Medieval Times in Buena Park, CA. All thoughts and opinions are our own.

If you’re looking for a good time with your teens but don’t want to break into their college savings funds, Medieval Times with teens is the way to go.

We’ve dined at Medieval Times several times and have always had an incredibly awesome experience. But last week we took four teenagers: two grandchildren and two of their good friends. It was truly a lot of fun!

You might think they wouldn’t be interested in a dinner theater. But, it’s really like a live action video game and totally kept their attention. While waiting outside for the castle doors to open, they were each on their phones listening to music, watching videos, and texting (probably each other!). But once we stepped over the threshold those phones were history. At least until the ride home. Ha!

Of the nine locations throughout the US, the Medieval Times Dinner Theater in Buena Park, California, is closest to us. It’s central to Orange County where there are a plethora of other fun activities nearby. It’s a perfect area to plan for a vacation. Or even a staycation with family and/or friends.

Medieval Times is like instantly being transported back in time. There’s chivalry, royalty and so much more. Once you don your crown, you’re in for an action packed adventure. The color of crown determines the spectator seating section. And that same color corresponds to the knight representing that section.

The arena is large with a wide-spectrum view from virtually every seat. Dining is on five levels surrounding the arena. Food and grog to feast on are served, all while cheering on your knight. Loud boisterous booing greets the opposing knights!

Our knight was the Red Knight! The display of his chivalry took no time at all to steal away our granddaughter’s heart. The same was true of her friend. A smile from the Red Knight and the girls were smitten. They watched every move he made and cheered him on. And on. And on again! They, along with the boys, also booed all of the opponent knights of various other colors.

We might add that their boos were just as loud as their cheers!

(Images courtesy of Medieval Times)

The competitions are quite a spectical! The heroic knights engage in athletic feats that are really incredible, with swordplay that leaves you on the edge of your seat. The musical score and lighting effects are a brilliant addition to the thrilling show. You’ll be in awe as you experience a bygone era.

(Image courtesy of Medieval Times)

Remember – Medieval Times is a Dinner Theater. And even with four growing teenagers, Medieval Times did not disappoint. Our teens ate and ate and ate. They were completely satisfied with everything they were served. I’ll be the first to admit that feeding teens, both boys and girls, can be tricky. But they ALL enjoyed what was served.

The hearty delicious dinner is “hands-on,” just like it was during the medieval days. But you can ask your server for flatware, if desired. Dinner is garlic bread (oh, so good!), tomato bisque soup, roasted chicken (1/2 chicken per plate), corn on the cob, 1/2 a roasted potato, and dessert. Our dessert was a moist and delicious lemon pound cake. David and the teens loved everything about their dinner. And just like those in medieval times, they ate with their hands.

As a cheating vegan, I chose the vegetarian meal. As you can see from the above photo, the servings are generous. So much so that David enjoyed some of my meal, too. The hummus and veggies were delicious and I was thrilled when the warm pita bread. And the 3 bean stew was completely out of this world. Absolutely delicious! The dessert offering was fresh fruit or Italian ice. I went with fresh fruit and was not disappointed.

We dined all the while enjoying the performances, competitions and of course cheering on the Red Knight.

One of our favorite parts of Medieval Times is when, after each competition, the winning knights ride over to the Queen and she tosses carnations to them. The knights, in turn, favor a lady in their arena section with a flower. From our experience, the lady is most always a young girl who is absolutely delighted to be chosen by HER knight. Kennedy was over the moon to be tossed a carnation by our Red Knight. After another competition her friend got one too!

Medieval Dinner Theater is a good time for all. You simply can’t beat the delicious food, group camaraderie, medieval atmosphere, and excellent action packed show. It’s almost like a living history lesson. The teens are learning and having a great time. Win-win!

Brief synopsis:

As of last year, the show is all about the Queen. Long may she reign at Medieval Times! Her Majesty Dona Maria Isabella presides over a tournament of knights who gather in celebration to test their skill against one another in a series of games, jousting, and combat. The new story brings a series of changes to the show including new costumes, custom-designed and handmade armor, and fight scenes. The musical score was composed by Dr. Daniel May, who directed and recorded the composition in Kiev with the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine.

Medieval Times offers birthday, anniversary, graduation, date night and many more celebration packages.

Arrive early as there are exciting knighting ceremonies (performed by the Queen herself), and other exciting pre-show activities.

While the very bottom front rows are exciting, if you plan on taking photos of the show there are protection barriers that may hinder your photos. Our favorite seats so far have been the red corner front seats. They’re one row up from the level of action and the view is fantastic! Similar seating is also available in the green, yellow and blue (corner) sections.

David says: Really a lot of fun. The action draws you in. And it was fun to watch the teensters enjoy the entire experience.

Cathi says: We always enjoy Medieval Times but with the teens it was the best time yet! It was so fun to watch their delight with the abundance of food, their gusto at cheering our Red Knight and booing his opponents and their excitement when the girls were favoured with flowers from they’re hero knight. And my vegetarian dinner was delicious! I was skeptical but more than pleasantly surprised!

Cody says: Every time we go I have a blast. Love the knights and the way they sword fight. The jousting matches are exciting. Oh, and the horses are great. We got to see them in their stalls before the show and they are big!

Kennedy says: I loved the huge dinner. There was so much food! Serenity and I also both caught flower favors from the Red Knight! The fighting was good too. The knights fight like they want to win but no one really gets hurt.

James says: My very first time and it was awesome! Didn’t know really what to expect but I really liked it a lot. It was fun to cheer and boo the bad guys.

Serenity says: This was my first time and I loved it! I wasn’t sure what to expect but I love horses so I was excited about seeing them. The knights were cool to watch on horseback and the horses knew exactly what to do during the jousting. I had an awesome time and can’t wait to go back again.